The Nabarangpur police on Saturday arrested two women quacks for branding infants in two different cases.
Two days after a baby boy was declared dead at the District Headquarters Hospital here, police on Saturday arrested a woman for allegedly branding the infant with hot iron nails leading to his death.
The Disari (local healer) was identified as Manik Gouda.
The 30-day-old baby had been branded at B Maliguda village under Nandahandi block about ten days ago. When his condition turned critical, family members rushed him to the hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
In another such case, the Papadahandi police too arrested a tribal quack, Dalimba Pujari, of Gopiguda for branding hot iron bangles on a 37-day-old infant’s chest and abdominal area to cure her of the ailment.
The baby was rushed to the Nabarangpur DHH as its condition deteriorated.
A case had been registered against Dalimba on complaint of local Child Development Project Office Supervisor Margirita Kulu.
It may be recalled that an elderly woman was also arrested on Friday for allegedly branding a newborn boy, who died late on Thursday night at the Rourkela Government Hospital. Shanti Das (65) alias Budhi had allegedly branded the baby with hot iron bangles on Friday night.
The woman, a midwife by profession, was sent to judicial custody.
Police also detained parents of the infant but released them after interrogation. The couple had buried the body. The police dug out the body and sent for postmortem.